Organic Container Gardening

Organic Container Gardening
Homemade Fertilizer (Gardening Question)?

I recently utilized a container to hold organic materials to make a compost pile so I could start growing some things
I put a bunch of grass clippings into it after mowing my lawn however the clippings are now black and very broken down, is this still good to fertilize plants with? I also throw in rotten Tomatoes, banana peels and other organic foods that would otherwise have gone to a landfill.
Is there anything else that I should be tossing into the compost container? and is it okay for compost piles to be exposed to the rain?

Is your compost pile black and slimy and smelly, or is it relatively dry and fluffy, and smells like good dirt? Does your container have holes in the sides and top to allow air to get into the compost materials? Are there holes in the bottom of the container to allow drainage of rainwater and other liquids? Is the container quite large (large garbage can sized at a minimum)?

If your compost is the fluffy, good-smelling kind, go ahead and use it. But everything you’ve described is a “green” – a high nitrogen source, and very wet – this often leads to an anaerobic, slimy, stinky pile. If you mix it in with “browns” – dried leaves, sawdust, shredded paper, or other high carbon materials, your pile should start to cook down and become good, earthy-smelling compost.

It’s okay for compost piles to be exposed to the rain, as long as there is drainage.

Organic Container Gardening

Grow Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden

Everyone knows that eating vegetables is good for you, helps you lose weight, improve your health and so on, ESPECIALLY when they’re organic. Yet as much as we love our organic vegetables, buying them can get costly due to production and distribution costs.

Here’s a crazy idea – why not grow your OWN garden? You can save money on groceries, get some exercise while you garden and enjoy super fresh food. Eating delicious, organic vegetables means you decrease the amount of pesticides you consume and the amount of food you waste. Plus, you help protect the environment from harmful toxins and chemicals in its soil. AND now there’s absolutely NO excuse to keep you from getting your daily amount of veggies!

Now is actually the perfect time to start growing your own vegetables. Here’s how:

1. Planning is key. Think about what you eat and what you want to grow. There’s no point in growing green beans if you hate ‘em! Plus, you need to think about how much time you’re willing to spend. If you love gardening, you’ll probably still be excited about this project in August. If you’re more of a “great indoors” person, consider starting out small with herbs and plants you keep by a kitchen windowsill.

2. Determine space. Apartment living is great, but you don’t have much space. Try a container garden or look into square-foot gardening. If you have a proper yard, figure out WHERE you want to plant your vegetables.

3. Think small. The inexperienced gardener might want to start growing CROPS, not food for your kitchen table. Start off easy and gradually expand to more vegetables every season.

4. Buy low, sell high. Consider the cost ratio of each plant. If it’s going to cost $10 to grow tomatoes, for example, but you really only eat maybe $5 in a summer, you’re losing money. On the other hand, if you love tomatoes, growing them will save you money in the long run since they often cost more at the grocery store.

5. Sharing is caring. Consider sharing seed packets with family, friends and neighbors. This goes for a healthy harvest, too – if you’ve overrun with chili peppers, share your bounty with others as gifts.

6. Compost. If you’ve got a little extra room, making a compost pile is an excellent way to feed your plants and keep your food waste out of landfills, where it will take MUCH longer to decompose.

Gardening is a great way to relax and have fun. Don’t turn it into a chore – your garden doesn’t need to be picture perfect, so long as you can reap what you sow. Just choose your favorite vegetables, fruits and herbs, and start planting! Get the whole family involved or use it to spend some quality “me” time. No matter how you garden, you’ll be growing fresh, inexpensive and ORGANIC food you and your family can enjoy eating.

About the Author

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*Featured article from the Organic Liaison Blog

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ABOUT ORGANIC LIAISON

Kirstie Alley’s Organic Liaison is a brand new, innovative weight loss program with the goal of “liaising” people from conventional eating habits to healthier organic ones while losing weight and supporting the body 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Organic Liaison membership offers a complete system including Rescue Me ™ weight loss elixir, the first USDA certified organic weight loss product; access to online tools including a daily journal, weight loss graph, daily menu planner; as well as other natural supplements and health tips to help members lose weight safely and effectively. Organic Liaison worked with experts in the fields of organics, nutrition and fitness to create an outstanding natural weight loss lifestyle and a comprehensive health and fitness community for their members.

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Sad Basil and Tomato plant in Desert.. Please Help!!?

I live in Las Vegas and am growing a small container garden outside. My tomato plant which is about 2 ft tall isn’t doing so well… she’s drooping downwards and the leaves are turning an orange/brown color. It was in full sun from morning to sundown (7am-7pm) and I was thinking it was getting too much sun, so I moved it into a shady area yesterday. It’s watered properly and is in Dr.Qs organic soil mix fertilized with Dr.Qs edibles fertilizer… Help!

Sounds like you over fertilized and burned your plants. Here’s an article on fertilizing http://easybloom.com/plantlibrary/care/why-do-i-need-to-fertilize-my-plants

Try flushing your plants with water to get some of the excess fertilizer out of the soil.

Plants thrive in sun, so that isn’t the issue.

How To Build A Self-Watering Organic Container Garden